1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a mechanical inertia switch, having a housing, an inertial mass disposed at an electrically conductive elastic tongue, and a contact piece.
Such an inertia switch, which is known from German Patent DE 35 09 054 C1, has an inertial mass which is disposed at an elastic tongue, and a contact piece. The electrically conductive elastic tongue and the contact piece are guided through the housing and each have an electrical contact at their free ends. The elastic tongue, with the inertial mass, is deflected in the direction of the contact piece under the effect of an acceleration. If the acceleration is sufficient, an electrical connection is made through the two electrical contacts on the elastic tongue and on the contact piece.
With an inertia switch of that type, short switching times can only be achieved at the cost of an unreliable response. What is more, if the inertia switch is used in a vehicle, the inertia switch is exposed to vibrations which can make the elastic tongue oscillate and thus result in inadvertent closure of the inertia switch.